Monday, June 22, 2015

Bacon Cheeseburger Gnocchi Skillet

I must say that one-pot dishes are starting to become a regular thing around my house (like that is a bad thing....). Ron and I both work all day, and many times a hearty one-pot meal fits the bill perfectly.

Recently, I made a Ham and Cheese Gnocchi Skillet and it was a big hit with both my boys. I decided to try a different twist on that idea by creating a bacon cheeseburger version. One of Ron's favorite things to eat is a bacon cheeseburger and he loves gnocchi- I knew this would a home run at dinner time! Unfortunately, when I made this meal Ron came down with a the stomach flu and didn't get to try it right away. The poor guy was so disappointed, but once he felt better he brought it for lunch 3 days in a row. For a guy that does not like leftovers more than once it must have meant that the dish was that good. Kellen and I also loved this meal and I think Kellen was especially excited about the pickles. The child might (I said might) love pickles more than me, and it makes me so happy. Besides being delicious, this meal is really easy to make and cooks in one-pot (easy clean-up for the win!).

I am really liking playing around with different gnocchi skillets..... I think of a chicken parmesan or pesto version for a future post might be in order!

Tonight, I am stopping at the gym before I head for to grill. The beginning of our week is pretty much unplanned because I have a conference coming up later in the week and won't have time to cook. However, I have my boys stocked with shells and cheese and a little kielbasa....I think they will survive without me and probably enjoy that mac and cheese treat!

Happy Monday everyone!

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb lean ground beef

1 medium white onion, diced

8 strips of bacon, cooked crisp

1 Tbl ketchup

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

16 oz package of Gnocchi

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1/4 cup sliced green onion

1 1/2 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

Garnish:

Sliced pickles

Ketchup

Mustard

Instructions

Brown beef in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add onions to skillet and cook until tender. Drain excess grease from the skillet and return to heat.

Add 1/2 the amount of bacon to skillet and stir. Add gnocchi to skillet, ketchup, water and heavy cream. Stir and let cook for about 6-8 minutes until gnocchi is tender and sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with cheese on top and place skillet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to bubble.

Remove from oven, top with green onion, tomatoes and remaining bacon. Serve immediately with suggested garnishes.